Breaking the tradition of republican to restrict themselves to front porches Hoover went out and traveled far and wide to deliver speeches. This pattern of traveling to all places is still followed today by the presidential candidates. Public speeches became the hallmark of the 1932 campaigns for both democratic and republican candidates. Both Roosevelt and Hoover delivered speeches in public setting the standards for direct public involvement.
Another development that really affected the election campaign was the extensive use of radio. The use of radio became widespread in America by 30s. In previous campaigns the involvement of media such as radio was minimal. Use of radio by the candidates in 1932 elections can also be considered a starting point for the importance of electronic media in the U.S. election campaigns. Previously in cases of front-porch campaigns candidates delivered the same speech with slight variations to suit the delegate they were addressing. Now with the use of mass media such as radio their words and speeches were being monitored by the whole nation.
The importance of rhetoric became more evident in 1932 elections than ever before. Hoover was a presidential candidate with a rather quiet and low profile as compared to Roosevelt's emotional and aggressive style. Roosevelt used rhetoric effectively in his presidential campaign. Rhetoric played so important a role that Hoover was regarded as the traditionalist while Roosevelt a modernist. Hoover called Roosevelt an extremist while defending his government policies. Roosevelt on the other hand showed that he was willing try new solutions and a balanced approach. The rhetoric made Roosevelt win this election and Hoover suffered a defeat. After Hoover every future candidate in America had to endorse a rhetorical presidency style.
Novels & Politics
Many scholars, including political scientists consider novels an important way of conveying political ideas. Writers are able to covey through characters and fictional settings the realities of a particular era in their novels while challenging readers' political point-of-views. John Steinbeck also wrote...
Through the characters and story line Steinbeck tried to convey the weaknesses of a
political system that openly sides with the wealthy and that denies the rural have-nots of their right of
free speech and assembly. With America going through the '
Great Depression' and political movements not finding a way out the novel is a subtle reflection of the democratic and republican
politics in the 1932 elections. "The book openly questions the purported benefits of America's new economic order. It predicts (and implicitly endorses)
rebellion against the
status quo by the recently dispossessed small farmers. Its celebration of a non-individualist, anti-market ethic is conveyed through the words and deeds of its female protagonists, Ma Joad and Rose of Sharon. The novel challenges readers'
trust in the fairness of the government and maintains that political democracy in the United States is an illusion. It insists that in the near future, the economically and politically last shall be first" (Zirakzadeh 595+).
Conclusions
1932 elections in America became historic as they set new standards for presidential campaigns. Roosevelt and Democrats came out as clear winners by ending a long conservative period in U.S. And twelve years of Republican rule in the
White House. Roosevelt and his ideas became popular and Americans followed the precedence set in the elections of 1932.
References
Dibacco, Thomas V. "Until 1932, Party's Nominee Didn't Even Attend the Convention." The Washington Times August 15, 1996: 11.
Zirakzadeh, Cyrus. "John Steinbeck on the Political Capacities of Everyday Folk: Moms, Reds, and Ma Joad's Revolt." Polity 36(4): 595+.
Carcasson, Martin. "Herbert Hoover and the Presidential Campaign of 1932: The Failure of Apologia." Presidential Studies Quarterly 28(2): 349+.
United States presidential election, 1932."…
